André Laffargue

Born in Ligardes, in the Gers region of France, André Laffargue was a career army officer who later became known as a journalist and writer. French biographical sources describe him as Charles-Victor-André Laffargue, born on September 24, 1892, and note that he studied at the lycée in Agen before entering Saint-Cyr.

During the First World War, he served in the infantry, fought in Lorraine, Morhange, Flanders, and Artois, and was wounded in 1915. While recovering, he wrote works on trench warfare, including Étude sur l'attaque dans la période actuelle de la guerre and Conseils aux fantassins pour la bataille; these writings are remembered for setting out his ideas about infiltration tactics in trench attacks.

French reference sources also identify him as a general, journalist, and author, and note that he lived an exceptionally long life, dying in 1994 in his native village. His writing stands out because it comes directly from lived military experience rather than distant theory.